TO cure or Not to cure... is that the question?... Hmm... Yes that is the question!

[shamokin]

Hi all, complete newbie here.

Im looking for some advice on whether to cure a fresh sausage before smoking it.

I want to cold smoke it for 12 hours and then vacuum pack it and freeze it to enjoy at leisure but dont want to get food poisoning. 

If I add the appropriate amount of cure (not sure what the appropriate amount of cure is as i havent done this yet)  with a nitrate of 6.4% to it while making the fresh sausage then smoke it will this be enough to keep it from spoiling. 

Any advice would be appreciated

Cheers 

Shamokin

 

[BGKYSmoker]

Yes you will need to add cure 1. Use cure 1 at, 1 level tsp per every 5 lbs of meat

 

[diggingdogfarm]

If you're going to cold smoke, cure is essential to protect against the possibility of botulinum toxin.
Cure #1 (6.25% nitrite) is used at a rate of one level teaspoon per 5 lbs of sausage meat (156ppm nitrite)

It's important to fully educate yourself before starting.

http://www.wedlinydomowe.com/sausage-making/curing

~Martin

Cross-Post.

 

[black]

z

 

[shamokin]

Hi all!

Made my first attempt yesterday.

I cooked and ate some of the sausage right away and it was pretty darn tasty.

Thanks for the info ( im still alive)

Although next time a little less salt and a little less thyme and probably will add a smidgen more fat.

I stuffed some of the meat in a Len Mahogany Salami casing and smoked it for about 6 hours.

I wanted to do more but had to run out.

I want to cook the sausage thats in the casing and wondering if i should cook it in a water bath to keep the whole thing moist 

or if I can just bake it in the oven slowly.

 Cheers

 

[shamokin]

Pure nitrate?

I have a prague powder

I was expecting it to be pink but it turned out white.

Got it from supplier in Toronto

 

[zalbar]

@shamokin: Up here in Canada we have no regulations concerning the coloring of sodium nitrite or nitrate. If you got it from BSA I know they don't colour theirs which is where I get my supply. I do know that they add anti-caking agents.